-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tiger Woods has not only declared himself fit to play at this week 's PGA Championship , after playing nine holes of practice at Valhalla on Wednesday , but he 's also eying a fifth title .

Since he withdrew from the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday after jarring his troublesome back , Woods ' participation had dominated the buildup to the final major of the year .

However , the 38-year-old 's physiotherapist fixed a problem that had looked set to rule him out , after Woods dislocated his sacrum -- a bone at the base of his spine -- when landing in a bunker .

`` I felt good once the bone was put back in , '' the former number one told reporters on Wednesday evening . `` I 'm not in any pain . ''

`` Once he put it back in , the spasms went away and from there I started getting some range of motion .

`` The inflammation has been down , I have range of motion , my speed and power -- and I just need to keep it up . ''

Leaderboard : PGA Championship

Woods ' participation had been in serious doubt prior to his practice round , after he struggled to tie his shoes on Sunday because of pain .

Yet there was better still for Woods ' legion of fans as he responded to the question of whether he could win in Louisville with a resounding ` Yes ' .

'' -LRB- To -RRB- try to go out there and win this event , that 's all I 'm focused on , '' said Woods , who won the PGA Championship the last time it was held at Valhalla Golf Club in 2000 .

Following surgery to treat a trapped nerve in his back in March , a three-month layoff forced the American to miss both the Masters -- for the first time in his career -- and the U.S. Open .

His back problems appeared to have been put behind him until the weekend flare-up in Ohio , only the third PGA Tour event he had contested since the operation .

However , Woods says Sunday 's injury was unrelated to the operation earlier this year .

`` It was a different pain to what I had been experiencing so I know it was not the site of the surgery , '' he explained .

Woods ' confidence about any potential victory flies in the face of his recent performances in the majors , having failed to win any of the last 19 he has contested .

In his last appearance at July 's British Open , he finished 69th -- a performance that would have been unimaginable prior to the decline in his game following the well-documented marital problems he suffered in 2009 .

Trailing the all-time record held by Jack Nicklaus , 14-time major winner Woods needs to prove his form and fitness this week to have a hope of making Tom Watson 's team for next month 's Ryder Cup against Europe in Scotland .

While keeping a close eye on Woods ' practice round , the veteran Watson also named Steve Stricker as one his Ryder Cup vice-captains on Wednesday -- with the 47-year-old joining Andy North and Raymond Floyd as an assistant .

Woods ' form this season barely reflects the feverish speculation over his fitness , since his best finish from the seven tournaments he has contested worldwide is a lowly 25th .

Should he suffer no further problems , Woods will partner former champions Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington when he tees off on Thursday .

He is chasing his fifth title after winning the event in 1999 , 2000 , 2006 and 2007 .

PGA breaks with tradition

In a separate development on Wednesday , PGA Championship organizers announced that the 2016 edition of the competition will be held in July .

The event is traditionally held in August but with golf featuring at that year 's Olympics for the first time since 1904 , with the Rio Games running between August 5-21 , the PGA has been forced into a change .

The tournament scheduled for Baltusrol in New Jersey will now take place on July 28-31 .

`` It 's a condensed schedule , '' PGA of America chief executive officer Pete Bevacqua told reporters at Valhalla .

`` Obviously with the Olympics , it 's also a Ryder Cup year , you throw in the -LRB- PGA playoffs -RRB- , so it 's a very congested schedule . ''

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Woods declares himself fit to play Thursday 's PGA Championship

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Participation had been in doubt after suffering back problems on Sunday

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Former world number one says he can win fifth PGA crown this week